Ladislao Kubala – From Les Corts To Camp Nou

Kubala-Barcelona Legend

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To truly understand FC Barcelona’s Hungarian legend Ladislao Kubala, you should be able to comprehend the power of the abstract. In retrospect, Kubala’s existence was much more than goals, and statistics simply don’t do him enough justice. The blond, good-natured Hungarian had quirks that are a reflection on the club’s ideals, its past, present and most of all – the dream that took form by the name of “Camp Nou”.

The Camp Nou, to the uninitiated, is Europe’s largest stadium with a seating capacity of 99,354 and its presence simply cannot be ignored. Ladislao Kubala can lay claim to being the inspiration behind its construction. Although plans to build the stadium had been afoot before Kubala joined the club, it has become Barca folklore, that the perennially drunk and extremely talented Hungarian was the inspiration behind its creation.

The stadium that was home to FC Barcelona before the Camp Nou was built, Les Corts had a seating capacity of 60,000 but the popularity that the club witnessed during Kubala’s time forced the board of directors into going ahead with the construction of ‘the new ground’. The 1951-1952 season was considered one of the most successful in the club’s history.

The Hungarian was well renowned for his skills on the ball, speed, agility, free kick abilities and a superb right foot. However, like the stadium and its audience, Kubala had his eccentricities. His love for alcohol have inspired anecdotes among the older generation of Culés (Barcelona’s fans). One reported incident being a custom’s official asking him where the two bottles of whiskey (that he declared) were and the player pointed to his stomach and said “Do you want to take an X-ray?”.

On looking back at his career, you may be excused for thinking that the Barca legend was destined for greatness . The sheer will that all great footballers possess coupled with a life peppered with obstacles. In 1949, Hungary became a Communist state and Kubala (allegedly) escaped military service by fleeing to Allied-occupied Austria and then finally ended up in Italy.

It was in Italy where the Hungarian got his first shot at making a name for himself. Even at such a young age, Kubala’s skills were so impressive that he earned an invitation to play with Torino in a friendly match against Benfica. Torino at that time, could be likened to Barcelona right now. Fresh off a 5th consecutive Serie A title, that particular team were referred to as “Il Grande Torino” because of their exploits. A team so progressive that some credit the Total football that the Dutch are famous for, to them. One name that probably defines the team is Valentino Mazzola. Fate decided that Kubala wouldn’t play that game, even though he accepted the offer. Kubala’s son fell ill and he decided to stay back and not travel with the team in the last minute. The plane transporting that great Torino team crashed against the Superga hill in Turin and in what was one of football’s greatest tragedies, all the passengers died on 4th May, 1949, including one of Kubala’s best friends, Gyula Schubert. The crash itself came to be known as ‘The Superga Tragedy’.

Kubala’s problems did not stop there as FIFA supported Hungary’s football federation when they accused him for breach of contract and he was banned from playing for one year. At this time, Kubala with other refugee football players from East Europe (Communist states) formed a team called Hungaria (although not all the players were Hungarian) and during some friendlies in Spain (against teams like Real Madrid whom they beat 4-2), he attracted interest from said club.

However, although negotiations with Madrid were at an advanced stage, the story goes that Josep Samitier (chief scout of CF Barcelona) got an inebriated Kubala on a train to Barcelona. Somewhere along the way Kubala asked Samitier whether they were heading to Madrid and was reassured that was indeed the case. However, by the time they reached Barcelona a sober Kubala took things in his stride and negotiated a contract with CF Barcelona for what would turn out to be an extremely profitable (and symbiotic) relationship between the club and its new player.

Kubala's Statue

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The story was only beginning. Thanks to FIFA’s one year ban on him, the club had to wait 9 months before he could play an official match. However, over the years Kubala scored 194 goals in 256 matches. Until recently, he was the second highest goal scorer for FC Barcelona. A record that the Hungarian still holds (one that will probably not be broken in the near future) is the highest number of goals scored by a player in a single match. Ladislao Kubala scored 7 goals in a 9-0 win against Sporting Gijon and it is the world’s loss that there seem to be no video records of that game. Considering that opponents were known to kick Kubala rather than try and get the ball, his records for the club can be seen in the right perspective.

In what may be looked as a passing of the torch. Kubala once said of a young boy at Barcelona-”I saw an Argentinian child playing that impressed me. He is physically poor but with a footballing intelligence that scares.”. Kubala’s 194 goals for FC Barcelona was only recently eclipsed by that Argentinian child. Lionel Messi, at the time of writing, has scored 202 goals for the Blaugrana. At 24 years of age, Leo can already be called a legend in Catalunya, however it might be a while before his legacy can match that of the Hungarian’s. Kubala’s exploits in Catalonia earned him a legendary status among its fans. The club honored his contribution by erecting a statue outside the Camp Nou.

After his tenure with Barcelona, Ladislao Kubala went on to play with a few other clubs and then even took up managing for a while. After a certain friendly match which even included club rival Real Madrid’s Alfredo Di Stefano, the Argentine went on to expound the virtues of Kubala. Indeed, praise from your rival’s star player showed how influential the Hungarian was for Barcelona and football in general during that era.

Ladislao Kubala died on the 17th of May, 2002 knowing that his legacy was set in stone. In 1999, fans of FC Barcelona voted Ladislao Kubala as the best player ever to have played for the Blaugrana.